MANILA -- Bagong Silang Elementary School, a major polling center in Caloocan City with over 39,000 registered voters, experienced several challenges during Monday's elections.

Security was heightened around the school premises starting at 10 p.m. on Sunday.

Upon entering the school grounds, voters were greeted with posted lists of voter names and their corresponding precinct numbers.

Inside, the school’s covered court served as the priority polling place, designated for persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, and pregnant women.

However, many voters reported difficulties locating their names on the voter lists and finding their assigned precincts.

“Hindi ko mahanap itong precinct number ko. Dati diyan ako pumupunta, ngayon pinapahanap sa 'kin. Grabe na yung inikot ko,” said Federico Acojido, 66, one of the frustrated voters.

A disruption occurred at one precinct where a vote-counting machine (ACM) malfunctioned.  Ballots fed into the machine were repeatedly rejected.

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“May deperensya, ayaw sumuot dun sa machine nung aming balota… Hindi malaman kung ano ginagawa nila eh… Sira ata eh,” said Edmundo Osea, 84.

Voting began at 5 a.m., but the ACM issue was not resolved until almost 6 a.m., causing delays and frustration among voters, particularly senior citizens who had arrived early.

According to a poll worker, the ACM malfunction was likely due to dust, which required them to clean the machine repeatedly.

The priority polling place also saw a surge of complaints from senior citizens struggling to find their names or precincts.

The voter assistance desk was overwhelmed with the elderly seeking help, resulting in long queues early Monday morning.